Adventures of a wildlife photographer "Hidden Alaska"-Part 8

July 24, 2012

When I last wrote I was out to sea, at the end of Resurrection Bay, south of Seward, Alaska. We had a wildlife filled, beautiful scenic boat ride from Fox Island southward towards the Kenai Fjords. Seeing Killer Whales, Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and a vast variety of birdlife was, to this photographer, incredible. It was becoming quite clear to me that this was really the photographic adventure of a lifetime. Not only was I seeing a vast amount of wildlife and scenery, but we were definitely off the beaten path, so to speak. We had avoided the typical tourist destinations, venturing into places that the average tourist wouldn’t feel too comfortable. Most of our stays had been in isolated log cabins, deep in the wilderness, relying on solar power for any electricity we might need. We did need electric, not only for a bit of lighting, but most importantly, to charge camera batteries. Isn’t the digital age wonderful? I did mention, a bit of lighting, which is all we really needed, because of the long daylight hours encountered the far North in the summer months. I loved all the daylight, because it gave me that false sense of not wanting to go to sleep, and continue to explore until the wee hours. The long days did eventually catch up with you, and when you did sleep, it felt really good!
Our trip continued southward towards the Harding Gateway which led into the Gulf of Alaska and the open sea. We would soon turn and head back up North to Seward. The weather was beautiful, and the sea was calm, making it the perfect day for this boat ride. Not far into our northward journey we noticed a couple of boats that had stopped, so we ventured close to see what they were looking at. It was a Humpback Whale that was slapping the water with his tail. Our boat captain told us that they will slap the water now and then, but this one wouldn’t stop. We got close enough for some great whale tail shots, and then moved on. My only regret was that the whale never breached. As close as we were, it would have made quite a shot.

See full article by purchasing the July 25 edition of The Kane Republican.

Kane Republican

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When I last wrote I was out to sea, at the end of Resurrection Bay, south of Seward, Alaska.